Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-01-27
HOMEMADE BREAD.
THE MARKET GARDEN.

Dandeii0ns as Grown for the Boston aarket
1t is not more than thirty or forty
years that dandelions have been cultivated
by the gardeners for market. Deacon
Corey of Brooklyn was the first, or among
the first, to grow them, and when first in
troduced they made some merriment
among the marketmen, who called them
grated dandclions." They were grown
at first by collecting the seed of the wild
dadelions. But several years ago the
French dandclion seed was imported, and
proved SO much moro productive that 1t
has become the only variety now grown;
the variety, however, has been much i'm
proved by selection of plants for seed
since it vas first imported, and is now of
ightel green ana very stocky and pro
duetiVe.
Dandelion seed Is at best rather diff
fcult to bring up. It should be freshly
grewn, not over year old, or two years
at the utmost, and to insure its germina-
ton it should be sown very early in spring
and covered very lightly. AS it starts
slowly and makes little growth till July,
it is usual to SOW between the rows spring
spinach, or to plant onion sets, which
early crows are cleaned up in June, or
early in July, before the dandelions make
much of start. This plan of working
demands rich land, free from the seeds
of last years weeds, otherwise the early
crop cannot be cleared in time to save
the dsndelions from being snothered by
weeds.
Usually two beds or more are grown.
The one for early marketing should be
grown on light, early land, and should
be ridged up with two horse plough in
beds five or six feet wide. The burrows
between the beds will be cleaned out by
one-hOrse plough, and the beds ra ked
by hand before sowing the seed. The
spinach seed is sOwn at the same time be.
tween the 6andeliOn rows, which are
twelve to fourteen inches apart. The
dandelion seed should be sown rather
shickly, say about four pounds per acre
and covered very lightly, as it Is easily
smOthered by heavy covering.
The portion intended for later market
ing is best sown on the north side of q
hill without ridgiDg the land, or under
the partial shade of pear trees, or Other
fruit trees, but wherever sown the land
must be In high state of fertility, and
free from many foul weeds or seeds of
the same, for the dadelion starts slowly
and must be kept clean to insure crop
Oandelions do not come 10 market till
about q year after the seed IS sown, and
after marketing, the roots are usually
plowed up and the land planted about
Juno first with melons or cucumbers Of
some other late crop. The eandelior
FoOt IS indeed perennial, and can bt
cropped several years, but it is found By
experience that the labor of growing
new crop from seed every year in far
EaY ri mt bn ON
old bed and preparing for market the in
feriOr growth of en- old bed which is al
ways a good deal spread out and not
sompacted in single clusters, as when
only one year old, making the labor of
sleaning far greater.
They are usually harvested by cutting
the roots underground with a sharp
spade, and then forking the tops into q
cart. They are usually cleaned up by
boys by the piece at five cents per bushel
They are exceedingly productive on
good land, often yielding 1000 10 1,5OC
bushels per acre, and being the earliest
gr ems IN market, are in great demand
The price ranges from So so per bushe
for forced dandelions in winter down tC
ten cents per bushel in glut. A fail
price Is 20 to 25 cents per bushel wher
well grown in May.
Dandelions are easily forced, requiring
little heat. A cold frame covere with
mats in cold weather and well bank &c
will bring them in March, while for ear
ier sales in January and February they
are usually grown in frames or green
houses heated by steam or hot water
pipes. If the roots were transplanted tC
the frames in Septe nber and October
and well grown the frames Will produce 6
bushel per sash. When the sashes are
however, simply placed upon the plants
located in the field where the roots were
grown. as is done largely in March fol
april sales, the yield will seldom exceed
one-half bushel per sash. But, as the
time required to force them at this sea
son is only four to five weeks, and ne
mats or heat are required, it pays well tc
use any idle glass in this way.
Our market is very flucuatipg in spring
a few warm days in April will bring the
price down from 81 to % cents per bush
81, and after the glut is over it frequent
" rallies in May fifty cents. There is nc
disease or insect that troubles the dande
lion. 1t is SO hardy that it is seldom
damaged by frost, though it is usual tC
cover lightly with coarse horse dung
those beds intended for early sales. Il
:" cure crop II the grower once gers the
seed up, and one year with another 1t is
fa1rJJ profitable. There are many gar
dens near Boston where one half an acre
TO two acres of dandelions are in single
patches.
The pleasant bitterness of the dande
hon is believed to be most wholesome tC
the stomach in spring, and certainly fal
preferable to the stronger kind of bitters
too much IN vogue. The French use
dandenons much as a salad. eaten raw
like lettuce, for which purposes the fore
ga dandelions are tender enough; but
when grown out Of doors, they are blanch
ed by ee1thipg them Up like celery, onl,
not SO high.
Butter Making at Farm Diaries